#10 DAV

[VETOVET]

Please, welcome new VET2VET podcast episode:

https://youtu.be/waV5t0HPtbM

Today we are joined by Thomas Wendel, DAV National area supervisor for West Cost Region.
Thomas E. Wendel served in the U. S. Marine Corps from 1983 until 1997.
Since 1999, Tom has worked assisting veterans in processing various entitlement claims on the local, state and federal levels; first in Clare County as a county service officer and then when he came to work for the Disabled American Veterans in 2000. In 2008 he was promoted to the position of supervisor of the DAV Service Office in Detroit and later he was promoted to the position of supervisor of the DAV National area for West Cost Region.
DAV is America’s largest, most effective veterans service organizations dedicated to the needs of those injured, ill or wounded in service. We have more than 1,300 Chapters in communities nationwide to help make sure veterans from all generations and their families get the benefits and support they deserve. Today, nearly 1.3 million veterans belong to DAV, and we encourage you to add your voice to the cause. Our programs and free services help all veterans get the health, disability and financial benefits they earned. Take advantage of our benefits claims assistance, medical transportation and employment resources. Your local DAV Chapter is a great way to connect with fellow veterans in your area.

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Edited June 17, 2016 by VETOVET

[OldJoe]

2 hours ago, Fat said:

Folks,  the long and short is you have to be your biggest advocate.

VSO's are a mechanism to help, but the veteran has to do the heaving lifting.

I personally would like for every veteran to attend a one day seminar before they even file a claim.

The seminar would give a veteran an inside look at the claim process.

Veterans would then better understand what their expectation and responsibility should be in the process.

Many claims are elongated because we don't understand the process and many mistakes are made thus forcing appeals.

VETERANS, be your best advocate.

"Nobody cares more about your claim than you do".

About a "seminar", that would be a very good idea.  And something we could do I think.

It wouldn't have to be a "make a reservation type seminar" but an instructional video that walks through what should be done before making a claim, how to make a claim, who you can call, resources, ...

Video would be of great help because from personal experience, diving into a forum can be daunting to the point of overwhelming, because you can hear 5 different things that seem contradictory but all are correct when placed in the right context.

Also, videos lend a human touch to explaining things and body language can be used effectively to express a point, compassion, understanding, ...  Something that is hard enough to do through the pod cast and much harder to do through the forums.

Each video shouldn't be more than 15 to 20 minutes long, talk about one topic maybe touch on another topic or two, then refer the viewer to which forums that would be best to answer questions related to what was covered, and that there is no such thing as a dumb question (that's what the VA wants us to believe that they are the source of all knowledge and cannot be refuted).

[Victor Ray]

6 hours ago, Andyman73 said:

Victor,

Even if the raters weren't trained, but told to apply the regs to the best of their ability, we'd all be in so much better shape SCD % wise.  At least the raters could read the evidence, the examiner's opinion, and the CFR regs, and more often than not, make the right decision.  But...that's not the case, they are trained, and told to deny most claims, at least the first time around.

And if that's not the case, then how do you explain why we're even here, on Hadit, in the first place? Much less why Hadit even exists?

As for being kept in the dark, if I didn't know better, Victor, I'd say you have got to be the single oldest living mushroom!  All those years being fed bs and kept in the dark!  Makes you quite the fun guy!!! But hey, I love mushrooms!  Lol!

Semper Fi

Thanks Andyman.

I am sorry I am the oldest, lol, but I am glad to still be living today, and I was 31 when I applied for service connection. I didn't even know you could draw service connected disability and still work. I was never even told about disability, but learned a little here and there over the years, and when I got to seeing things on the news about the symptoms my skin lit up! Finally, I am seeing vets that have the same symptoms, even though most were not hospitalized, they still had most of the same symptoms.

I dealt with disease, infections, and pain for 12 years, but the very day I had an exam, I was pretty clear skinned and not broke out. Chloracne was the only thing being considered, and I knew I had other issues, but not that they were related to Agent Orange. I had swollen skin, arms, legs, blisters, eruptions, hives, rashes, acne (chloracne), but that had nothing to do with the heart, so I thought. 

Just a few weeks later I was in the bath tub, with straight cold water, and my wife taking pictures because I was full blown under attack again, even blacking out every 10 seconds to 2 minutes in between. After 15 minutes I was totally coherent, and cleared up within a few hours. That was the second time and next to worse since the week I spent in a "coma".

I still have a terrible time with my skin and if I am outside in the sun for 10 minutes(if I could stand it that long), after a few hours, i will be very nauseated and feverish. I can not tolerate the sun at all, and can't hardly walk, so I just don't go out.

Yes, I am a fossil I know, and have been way to patient and tolerant, but I try to respect people and be nice, but there is a point when you have to get crappy for anyone to listen. When it comes down to money, common sense, honor dignity, fairness all goes out the window, and the liars, swindlers, and cheaters put on the armor and attack the innocent, even though the innocent are right. Righteousness doesn't matter anymore, money does.

Yes, I am  a mushroom too and have eaten most of the BS up, and I am so full I could pop, or should I say erupt, lol. I read the regs all the time, but can't remember them, but do remember the point it makes. The first few years after a stroke, I could not remember more than a few seconds, literally, if that long. Research was basically impossible, and I would read the same page 50 times over before it would come to me that I had read it before. A small book would take years to read I guess. That is much better now. The other day I forgot how to make the capitol letter "I", incursive. I could not figure it out. I gave up and found a writing lesson on you tube and was thrilled that they were writing the letter I incursive. I felt good about it. 

The raters just can't remember it all either, but I agree with you. it seems they are taught deny or award the smallest percentage the first time and get them out of the system for a bit, and when they come back, they will be at the bottom working their way up again, then they get a little more and keep the cycle going saving millions at the vets expense. Penalty factors instead of bonuses ought to work here, but it will never happen.

 

 

[Victor Ray]

2 hours ago, Berta said:

Seabee said:

    "The VA operator told me to submit it to them directly because they had my records due to a previously denied claim." That makes sense....if the claim was denied not that long ago.

  "I also sent a request to the NPRC I think it is.  I received fax confirmations but no one can find the papers I submitted ."

I suggest that you go to www.va.gov, click on the Contact Us button ,then on Ask a question button and send them an IRIS inquiry, even an IRIS complaint would be better, and there is a pop down box for IRIS complaints.Tell them what you told us here.

Ask for an email reply because that way you have hard copy of what they say.

If you formally filed the SF 180 with NARA as well (www.archives.gov) they also have a status button I believe at that site.

 

 

 

I filed 20 or so SF 180s over 4 years with the VA, OIG, NPRC, MPR. I finally got a few treatment records from Vietnam, none from Japan, none for the 7 month following my return to the USA. I think I have enough to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that all my issues are directly service related, and actually Agent Orange related too. Presumption is assumed is kind of a joke because you still have to prove exposure, which is impossible.

If a person's "word" was any good, we wouldn't be here, because they could be trusted, but being the people we are, we as humans make everyone doubt us. I had and have every single symptom of chloracne, and they say I was allergic to chloroquine that was given to me, and it all completely documented, but denied, LOL.

Every place I was at had Agent Orange used, and I had a skin disease with all the symptoms of Amyloidosis, and a P3 permanent Profile for all organs and body systems, but it is not good enough. If you do not dot an "i" or cross a "t" properly, you are denied, which does not matter to the raters because they are not accountable to anyone. They rule our pocket book the way they want and are told by those higher up. More denials mean bigger bonuses to me.

[Victor Ray]

3 hours ago, Berta said:

Seabee said:

    "The VA operator told me to submit it to them directly because they had my records due to a previously denied claim." That makes sense....if the claim was denied not that long ago.

  "I also sent a request to the NPRC I think it is.  I received fax confirmations but no one can find the papers I submitted ."

I suggest that you go to www.va.gov, click on the Contact Us button ,then on Ask a question button and send them an IRIS inquiry, even an IRIS complaint would be better, and there is a pop down box for IRIS complaints.Tell them what you told us here.

Ask for an email reply because that way you have hard copy of what they say.

If you formally filed the SF 180 with NARA as well (www.archives.gov) they also have a status button I believe at that site.

 

 

 

The VA had my records from a previous claim also, from 1983. All my medical treatment records were gathered together, collecting them from files of 5 different hospitals, from 3 different countries, and 6 different MTFs. The ones I did get were also picked through with about 7 months missing from them. The NPRC told me in 5 or 6 different letters that the VA had them, but the VA denied it. They told me over and over and over, the VA has them. I finally got a few, but they are with holding many too. 

[Andyman73]

Victor,

Do you have a copy of your C-file? I don't recall if you said. But if not, and you haven't yet, you must request it ASAP! It will have any and all info pertaining to your previously filed claims and what evidence they have with said claims, and what they determined.

When I was getting out, I went to a briefing w/VA rep from the local VARO. I had my medical jacket with me, he asked if any want to make claims, and what for.  He went through my record and said yay or nay to the things I listed...which was only a few things.  One of which is one, if not, the most documented issue in my record...which took over 2 years to get SCd for.

This guy never said anything else about all the other medical issues documented therein.  This was in June of '98.  You can imagine my overall level of discontent, now, having learned what his lack of willingness to speak up, has cost me, in the 18 years since that day.

I truly wish every single one of the raters and examiners and medical staff, who do nothing but stand in the way, would suffer the same fate they sentence us to.  That is to say, they have legitimate claims be denied, and be stuck on the hamster wheel for years, just as they have sentenced us to.  That they be treated as guilty till proven innocent, such as it were.

[Victor Ray]

Andyman.

I have made numerous requests for my "C" file and many other requests wording it different ways, but they only send what they want, and it is in fragments, and never the whole file, no travel orders, pay records, etc. These were FOIA Requests on the FOIA  Forms as well as written letters, even wording it different ways to try and get them all, like "C-File", 201 File, All Medical Records, All Medical Treatment Records, All Military Records, All Military Service Records, All Medical Outpatient Records, All Hospitalization Records, All Inpatient Treatment Records, Entire C-File, and every other way I could Imagine. The VFW and DAV also requested them, and I made a request for help from the OIG Office concerning them.

I have gotten some from Vietnam, none from Japan, and none for the 7 months following my return from Vietnam, then they start a three months before I was discharged.

I wasn't told anything about filing a claim, except that if I did, I would not be discharged until it was settled, and I was literally dying. I was told that I could select to file a claim later, and be discharged, so I did. 

A lot of conditions were noted from sick call visits, and I noted on forms that I had ongoing medical conditions, and hearing loss and lung issues documented on Form SF 88.

I assumed I could get good civilian help and get the care I needed because the Army doctors came across as half baked, untrained, uninterested mostly, and medically ignorant. They could never do the right to help my condition I was there for. You give up after a while, and just pray for healing from God because the Army wasn't going to help.

The civilian doctors were not much help either, and when I could only tell them I had a skin disease in Vietnam, they were lost because my abdomen is causing the pain, or heart pains, or eye aches, or migraines, so it had nothing to do with a skin disease. They could only treat the symptom and not much help. They did treat the eczema and other skin conditions with prescribed creams, OTC itch medications, and the sort, diet recommendations, cleansing pads and moisturizing soaps, etc. 

I had so many issues that I can not keep track of them all. It is obvious that my file was gone through and documents removed pertaining to proof of exposure. I have a DRO at some point and can only hope they can see that the evidence I "DO HAVE" is sufficient. They document the skin eruptions, the papular rashes around the eyes(chloracne), the swollen arms, legs, ankles, ears, hands(amyloidosis, renal failure), the Liver Disfunction, the welps and wheals, nausea and abdomen cramps that were paralyzing even after discharge and to this day, hearing loss after so many repeated infections, the sensitive painful prostate, urinating blood(renal failure), migraines and "coma". So dang many things that began in the service, but they still denied all the evidence. 

that is why it is hard for me to believe any of these employees are veterans, although they all say they are. THE EVIDENCE DON'T MEAN A DANG THING, UNTIL the right person reviews it. Someone that knows what is what, and that is not very often. I do have hope though, but I know I will be cheated regardless. About 5% faith that I will be fully vindicated.

Victor